Rome's mafia scandal could lead to breakdown of law and order, says Vatican

Former mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno has been placed under formal investigation for mafia association and corruptionPhoto: Rex

By Josephine McKenna, Rome

7:05PM GMT 07 Dec 2014

The political fallout from Rome’s latest mafia scandal broadened as the Vatican expressed concern at the breakdown of law and order in the country.

It emerged last week that mafia gangsters, corrupt politicians and a former one-eyed terrorist had made millions of euros exploiting migrants and gipsies through a criminal web that rigged government contracts and embezzled funds intended for refugees and migrant centres.

The Vatican’s second-in-command, Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said the latest episode had provoked “great concern” and that society was doomed if there was a breakdown in the rule of law.

“How can you not be worried? A society that does not pay attention to lawfulness is a society destined to give the strongest supremacy to trample over the weakest,” said Cardinal Parolin.

Police arrested 37 people last Tuesday, on charges of extortion, corruption, money laundering and embezzlement.

Related Articles

One alleged criminal associate has also been arrested at Fiumicino airport and another 100 politicians and businessmen, including Gianni Alemanno, a former Rome mayor with far-Right leanings, have been placed under investigation.

Graziano Delrio, state secretary and close ally of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, said the scandal had done enormous damage to Italy’s reputation around the world and contributed to its latest downgrade by ratings agency Standard & Poor’s.

“What happened in Rome is the worst, how worse can the image of a country be?” said Mr Delrio when asked if the scandal had affected S&P’s decision to lower Italy’s credit rating to “BBB-” on Friday.

Italian media reported that leaders of the Rome organization had also established friendly relations with several bosses from the country’s other major mafia, including Sicily’s Cosa Nostra and the ‘Ndrangheta from the southern region of Calabria.

Former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who heads the centre-right Forza Italia party, and Beppe Grillo, the maverick leader of the left-leaning Five Star movement both called for the council to be sacked in separate statements.

“We cannot accept that Rome, the most famous city in the world, our capital, can be run by those who are compromised,” Mr Berlusconi said to a party conference in Palermo on Sunday.

“We are asking the parties for a joint effort: they should all resign. We want new people who ensure transparent management.”

Rome’s current centre-left mayor, Ignazio Marino, who still enjoys the support of the national government announced a shakeup of key council positions after several administrators resigned.

But he is certain to come under more pressure after three city councillors from his own Democratic Party suspended themselves from their duties at the weekend.